1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of acoustical ceilings which have been defaced by the mounting therein of decorative hooks for plants, etc.
2. Description of Prior Art
It has for years been common practice to hang objects, particularly plants but also mobiles, etc., from ceilings. A large proportion of such ceilings are of the acoustical variety, comprising a horizontal sheet of wallboard having particulate acoustical material applied by spraying to the bottom surface thereof.
As an example, an apartment complex having numerous tenants frequently has a relatively high rate of turnover. Each time an apartment is vacated, a maintenance crew goes in and tries to make the apartment clean and new-appearing for a subsequent tenant. The apartment is readily cleaned and/or painted, but what to do about the holes in the acoustical ceilings? Many apartment dwellers (and home owners) perforate their acoustical ceilings with decorative hooks, and each hook leaves not only an unsightly hole but also a surrounding region where the acoustical material is bruised-appearing. The hook should not be left in place because the subsequent tenant will probably not want a hook in the same location. The only effective method at this time is to spray the entire ceiling, after filling the hole with plaster, since a mere local spray of acoustical material produces a large, unsightly "patched-appearing" region which is unsatisfactory. Furthermore, even local spraying of acoustical material is a major operation.
Not only is there a substantial problem after a tenant moves out of an apartment, or after a homeowner moves out of a home, but there are frequently problems even while the same tenant or homeowner remains in the apartment or house. For example, a decorative hook may be inserted and a plant hung thereon, following which the person hanging the plant decides that he wants it in another portion of the room. At the present time his only options are to leave an unused hook in place, which seems strange, or else remove the hook and leave an unsightly scar.
There have long been, in the clothing and plywood arts, patch apparatus and methods for applying precision patches to sheets of plywood and articles of clothing. These, however, have not suggested and do not suggest the present solution to a substantial contemporary problem. There are also patents relative to the wallboard and building arts, but these involve large holes, massive removal of wall portions, etc., and do not suggest the present apparatus and method.